Make your online presence fit in with the Italian market

A guide to localisation in Italy

1
Overview

We’ve created this guide to help you get closer to your Italian customers. A web presence that is in tune with Italy’s culture will make your customers feel well disposed to you, and give them confidence to do business with you. Get the little details right, and you'll be in a good position to not make costly mistakes in your new market.

2
The main language

Italian is the main spoken and written language.

A 2016 Italian Institute of Statistics report shows that 56% of Italians between 18 and 74 years old do not speak English.

The majority of online searches are in Italian.

Research has shown that Italians are not confident speaking other languages.

3
Formality

Should you be formal or informal when addressing your Italian customers?

In Italy, most products are written about online in an informal way. At times this can verge on playful. Products with this informality include YouTube, Gmail, and Google Play.

If you have a financial product, a legal service, or are talking about money, you should adopt a more formal tone and style.

4
Numbering systems and formats

Numerals

Decimal separator

This is a comma (,)
e.g. 1,5 hours.

Thousands and decimals

The thousand separator is a full stop (.),
e.g.1.524 people.

Telephone numbers

The country code is +39. Landline phone numbers have the prefix 0. All mobile numbers have the prefix 3.

Phone numbers are separated by spaces as follows: (+39) 02 12345678.

The numbers after the initial two digit numbers can range from 8 to 11 in number.

Freephone numbers have the prefix 80.

5
Currency format

Italians trade in Euros. This is represented by the euro symbol € and its trading three letter code EUR. The € is placed after the figure. The coin denomination is the cent represented by a c.